Depths of Darkness
by BlackandTainted
Summary: It all began at the end of his fifth year. But it was expected. It had been manifesting since the past year. Since the return of Voldemort, and the death of Cedric. Harry, as usual, blamed himself. He began to fall into seclusion. Could no one help him?
1. Chapter 1

It all began at the end of his fifth year. But it was expected. It had been manifesting since the past year. Since the return of Voldemort, and the death of Cedric. Harry, as usual, blamed himself. He began to fall into seclusion, not talking to anyone, going about his studies quietly. No one could help him.

Harry walked into the common room after Potions, carrying his books. He walked up to his room – he had managed to persuade Dumbledore to give him his own room – and put his books back into his trunk. He pulled another book out of his trunk and lay down on his bed, opening to a certain page.

After a while, he looked at the time, and found that he had missed dinner. Again. He walked down into the common room.

"Harry!" he heard someone call, but he ignored them, "Harry!" He just walked out of the common room and down to the kitchens. On the way he passed Ron and Hermione.

"Harry!"

"Harry, mate."

Again, he ignored them, continuing walking down to the kitchens, all the while hoping that he wouldn't be served by Dobby. He wasn't in the mood for the elf's cheerfulness. Sometimes he wished he'd never freed him, even if he was working for the Malfoys.

"Potter," Harry heard someone say, breaking him out of his thoughts, "What you doing down here, Potter?"

Harry brushed past him and continued down to the kitchens. Malfoy looked at him, confused.

"Hey, Pot… Harry, are you ok?"

Harry, just like with the other three people, ignored him, and kept walking down to the kitchens. When he finally got to the kitchens, he tickled the pear and turned the handle, walking in. Winky appeared in front of him, eyes bloodshot and traces of tears on her cheeks.

"Can Winky get you anything, Mister Potter?"

"Just a pumpkin pasty, Winky."

"Right away, Mister Potter."

Harry liked Winky. She didn't ask many questions, and in a way, he could relate to her. He had lost his godfather, and it was his fault that Cedric had died. She had been given clothes by her previous master, Barty Crouch at the Quidditch World Cup.

"Here you are, Mister Potter," Winky said, putting the pumpkin pasty on the table in front of him.

"Thanks, Winky," he said, picking up the pasty and biting into it. Winky bowed and disappeared with a crack.

When Harry walked out of the kitchens, he ran into Fred and George.

"Hiya Harry," they said in unison.

Harry gave a small smile, though it didn't reach his eyes, and walked back up to the common room.

When he got there, Ginny, Hermione and Ron surrounded him, Ron hiding the map behind his back.

"Harry. We need to talk," Hermione said, calmly but seriously.

"Where'd you get that?!" Harry growled at Ron, angrily. Ron yelped, shaking his head and pointing at Hermione.

Harry pulled out his wand and pointed it in Hermione's face, snatching the map off Ron.

"What do you think you're doing?!" Ginny yelled at him, "She's trying to help! As are me and Ron!"

"I don't need your help!" Harry yelled, and started to storm past them, up to his room.

"Harry," Hermione said, weakly, putting her hand on his shoulder. He looked at her for a second. Her eyes were brimming with tears. He then shrugged her hand off and continued up to his room.

When he got up to his room, he opened a secret compartment in his trunk – he had inherited this trunk from his mother, and it had lots of compartments, half secret – and said 'mischief managed' and put it in, closing it afterwards. He lied down on his bed and fell asleep eventually.

_~2 hours later~_

Harry woke up and walked down to the common room. It was deserted, though the fire was still crackling. He went and sat on the couch in front of it, staring into the flames.

"Harry?" he heard someone from the shadows say uncertainly. He turned around, and saw Luna standing there.

"Luna," he said, before turning back and facing the fire.

"Are you ok, Harry? Everyone's worried about you," Luna said, her normal dreamy voice now serious and concerned.

"I'm fine, Luna," Harry said, looking into the flames intently. It almost seemed as if he was hoping Sirius would floo-call.

"I'm sorry Harry, but I don't believe you," Luna said, coming down and sitting next to him.

"How'd you get in here anyway, Luna?"

"I have my ways. Now, tell me how you really are."

"I told you. I'm fine. Seriously," he said, looking around, "How did you get in here?"

"I'll tell you, if you tell me why you're falling into seclusion."

"I am not!" Harry said, defensively.

"Denial is a sign that it's true."

"I'm not, Luna, and I'd very much appreciate if you'd leave me alone about it."

"Ok Harry," Luna said, thoughtfully, "I'll leave you alone, then."

She walked out, seemingly hurt, though Harry was completely indifferent to this, staring into the fire still.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Eventually Harry dozed off on the couch, as he usually did.

Next morning he woke up to someone shaking him.

"Harry, wake up. It's breakfast time."

"I'm awake, Hermione," he said, "Now leave me alone. Go down to breakfast. I'll meet you there."

"Ok, Harry," Hermione said, knowing his words were empty, but happy that he had at least talked to her.

Harry got up as Hermione walked away. He went up to his room, getting dressed and grabbing his books for Defence against the Dark Arts.

He walked down to breakfast, but sat at the end of the table, far away from everyone and close to the doors. Dumbledore stood up at his podium, and addressed the school.

"Students, we have a new student joining us today. She has transferred here from Beauxbatons. I hope you will all make her feel welcome. Now, if you will come up here, Iris, so we can sort you."

Iris walked towards Dumbledore, and sat down on the stool, him placing the hat on her head.

After a short time, the hat yelled:

"Slytherin!"

The Slytherin Table applauded happily, as she walked to their table. She sat at the end of the table by herself, and pulled out a book, proceeding to read it. Harry wondered why she was so reserved, especially seeing as she, he thought, was really quite pretty. She had long black hair with purple streaks, and a side-swept fringe that partly covered one of her eyes. Her eyes were purple, like her streaks. He blushed and looked away when he realised she had looked up from her book and was looking at him. She grinned before turning back to her book, that is, until Malfoy went and sat down beside her.

"Hi, Iris. I'm Draco Malfoy. Welcome to Slytherin."

"Why thank you, Draco," she said, in a sickeningly sweet voice, while picking up her goblet of pumpkin juice.

"So, what made you transfer here?" Iris looked sad at the question, before becoming angry. She poured her pumpkin juice over his head, saying:

"That is none of your business! And I'd trust that you'd leave me alone from now on!"

"Why you little…"

"Mr Malfoy, if you would please return to your seat," Dumbledore said. Malfoy looked around and saw that the whole school had seen the incident, before snarling and storming out of the hall, assumingly to the bathroom.

Iris however had turned back to her book, and was calmly reading it again.

"All of you return to your breakfast," Dumbledore said, sitting back down before resuming a conversation with McGonagall.

Harry walked out of the Great Hall after that, carrying his books to Defence. He sat down in front of the classroom. He pulled out his Defence book, perusing the chapter that they would be doing that lesson. Before he knew it, someone was sitting down beside him.

"Hi Hermione," he said assuming, not looking up from his book.

"Who's Hermione?" the person asked. That was when Harry finally looked up.

"Oh, Iris. I'm sorry, I thought you were my friend Hermione."

"It's ok," Iris said, pulling out the book she was reading earlier, "What are you reading?"

"Oh, I'm just looking through the chapter we're doing for Defence against the Dark Arts currently. What about you?"

"Oh, ok. I'm reading The Silence of the Lambs."

"Oh, I've heard of that. That's the one with the cannibalistic serial killer, right?"

"Yeah. Not many people know that."

"Oh, well, I was raised in the muggle world. I'm sure you've heard my story. Harry Potter," he said, by way of introducing himself.

"Iris Brooks. Nice to meet you. And, yes, but I've only heard snippets of it. I didn't know you grew up with muggles."

"Well, yeah. Unfortunately. Also unfortunate is the fact that I still have to live with them. 'For my protection'," he said, air quoting.

"I'm sorry, but how could that protect you?"

"Blood wards. I live with my aunt and her family."

"Oh, of course."

"Yeah, well, I've been putting up with it for so long. If I had any say in my life, I would be living with my godfather right now, but of course, as usual, fate had to play a little game with me, in this case by the name of Bellatrix Lestrange."

"Oh, I've heard of her. Who's your godfather? I heard she called some guy called Seer Black or something last year at the ministry."

"Sirius Black. And he was my godfather."

"But wasn't he a killer?"

"No, actually. Everyone thought that he sold my parents out to Voldemort, and he killed all those muggles and Pettigrew," He spat the name, "But it was really Pettigrew. He was an animagus, along with my father and Sirius, whom he was friends with, along with Remus Lupin. They called themselves the Marauders. You see, at first Sirius was my parents secret keeper as to where they were living, but then at the last minute they changed it to Pettigrew. Not everyone knew that though, so they thought that Sirius had betrayed my parents, as did I, for a while, until I found out from him. Anyway, Pettigrew cut off his smallest finger and then transformed into a rat, escaping, but not before killing all those muggles."

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Harry. That must be so hard for you." As she spoke, people started to arrive for the class. They stood up and waited for Snape to arrive.

"I don't know many people here," Iris said to Harry, "So, do you think I can sit next to you?"

"Yeah, sure," Harry said as Professor Snape arrived, leading them into the classroom.

As they sat down, Harry said:

"By the way, thanks for not making a big deal about who I am and my title 'the-boy-who-lived'. In fact, I would be very happy if we didn't base this friendship on that. Sometimes I just want to be normal, you know?"

"Yeah, I understand. Is that what we are? Friends?"

"Of course, if you want to be."

"Of course I do," Iris said, smiling, before turning her attention to Professor Snape. Harry followed her lead, and they sat there in silence for the rest of the class.


	3. Author's Note

**Author's Note**

Hey guys,

Sorry I haven't updated in a while, but I just got back to school recently, and have already had so much work to do. Though, I guess that's what comes from being in the last few years of school. Anyway, I will definitely try to upload this weekend coming (i.e. 3-4 days from now), and I will try to upload more often, but that will most likely only be on weekends. Anyway, thank you to those who have been reading my stories, and my deepest (and most sincere) apologies to you…

Love B&T

xoxo


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